What’s Important to Know About NJ This Week -01/20/2024

Jan 20, 2024

Charter School Get a Boost, State Saves Big on Bonded Debt, NJ Consumers Get More Protection, Lawmakers Get a Raise, Students Get Another Day Off, The Feds are Lame

Landmark Legislation for Charter Schools
From NJ Education Report

The bill is the first-ever funding framework for New Jersey’s public charter schools since their inception 26 years ago, and will allow schools located in SDA districts to make critical upgrades to charter school facilities, start new charter school construction projects, or perform major renovation and rehabilitation projects. Read More

NJ Debt Relief Fund Saves State Over 1 Billion So Far
From NJ Spotlight

In all, nearly $3.7 billion in bonded debt has been retired since the fund was created in 2021, the same year New Jersey’s bonded debt rose to a record-high $48 billion, which is nearly the size of New Jersey’s annual budget.

Counting this latest round of defeasance, the state has realized an estimated more than $1.3 billion in long-term savings since the debt-relief effort was launched, according to Treasury estimates. Read More

NJ Consumers Receive New Protections Over Online Data
From New Jersey Monitor

The law requires businesses that process the personal data of more than 100,000 consumers a year — or 25,000 if they also sell personal data — to post a link clearly and conspicuously on their sites that will allow their customers to opt out of the data collection. Consumers will also be entitled to know what kind of data is held by website operators so they can correct or delete incorrect information.

Businesses are also limited to collecting only personal data that is relevant and necessary to their operation. The law also creates more stringent restrictions on collecting certain sensitive data about their customers, including racial origin; religious beliefs; mental or physical conditions, treatments, or diagnosis; gender identity; citizenship or immigration status; and precise geolocation date. Read More

First Raise in Over Two Decades for Lawmakers
From NBC Philadelphia

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation to boost lawmakers’ salaries from $49,000 to $82,000 along with raises for his successor and other top officials.

Murphy signed the bill on Tuesday, according to a news release from his office. He made no comment on the measure, which passed the Democrat-led Legislature on the final day of the previous legislative session earlier this month. Read More

Students Get a Day Off for Civic Events
From NJ Education Report

On Tuesday, NJ Governor Murphy signed the “Involve Our Youth Act” into law. The bill was passed with near-unanimous support, now granting students grades 6-12 an annual excused absence for attending a civic event. Read More

The Feds Have No Sense of Humor
From northjersey.com

As you traveled down a New Jersey highway over the holidays you may have noticed electronic billboards with driver alerts — and a distinctly New Jersey sense of humor and attitude — signaling for people to drive carefully or slow down.

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The agency says in its new manual that states will no longer be allowed to use humorous pop-culture references because they can be a distraction to drivers. Read More